Watch above: An Edmonton father of two was run over and killed by his own truck as he tried to stop it from being stolen Friday morning in northeast Edmonton. Kendra Slugoski, Quinn Ohler and Fletcher Kent have group coverage of the story and the manhunt that followed. WARNING: The details of the story are disturbing.
EDMONTON – Edmonton police have located the blue Dodge Ram truck they were searching for following a fatal hit and run near Rundle Park Friday morning.
The truck was found at the back of a residence in the area of 112 Ave. and 94 St., around 6:30 p.m. Friday.
“At this point it would appear that there is no cause or relationship between the address and the truck,” said Insp. Regan James with the Edmonton Police Service.
Officers say a member of the public spotted the vehicle and called police. The truck has since been towed away from the scene.
“It’s one of those situations where clearly the public really stepped up their game and came out and helped us and we’re very grateful for that,” added James.
Police say they are now in the process of interviewing people in the area, and the hunt for the male suspect continues.
The manhunt began Friday morning after a 33-year-old father was run over and killed by his own truck as he tried to stop it from being stolen.
Witnesses said the man was hanging onto the back of the blue Dodge truck when he fell off and was dragged under.
“I looked up and I seen a gentleman trying to get into his vehicle,” said Nicole Nault. “Somebody was inside the vehicle, obviously stealing it. They had hit the gas, pinned it, and the gentleman got stuck under the wheels.
“I seen it. I seen the wife. I seen the gentleman hit the cement. I kind of know CPR, so I was going to go offer assistance because she was, like, hysterical. She wasn’t going to be able to help him at all. When I get over there, there was no help to be had.”
“I heard somebody yelling,” said Scott Pfiefle, who lives in the area. “I heard tires peeling out. I looked out my window and seen the truck bounce over somebody and I ran out of my house.
“My first thought was the guy needs help,” he added. “So I ran out and seen him laying in a pool of his blood.”
Pfiefle said police then had them all back away.
“I just kind of stayed with the wife. She really needed to be calmed down. So, I just kind of helped her out.”
The Dodge truck was the second one stolen Friday morning, said Insp. Brian Nowlan. Police first received reports of a stolen blue Ford half-ton truck around 8 a.m. It ended up in heavy traffic during the morning commute, so for safety reasons, police did not pursue it.
An hour later, an officer found the truck ditched a few blocks away from the scene of the hit and run at 2908-116 A Ave., in a housing complex called Parkridge Estates. A witness told police they saw a man and a woman peering into nearby condos.
Police spotted the couple and chased them down, catching the woman. The other suspect, a native man in his 30s, escaped. He jumped in to the victim’s Dodge, which was running.
“Just as the vehicle started to reverse he saw an individual come from a nearby yard and drape himself across the back of the box,” said Nowlan. “As the vehicle continued to reverse, the individual that was on the back came off the vehicle and ended up underneath the vehicle and was run over.”
The suspect drove south through the nearby Rundle Park onto 102 Avenue.
While the stolen truck has been located, city police are still searching for the suspect, who is described as an Aboriginal male, in his 30s, approximately 6’0”to 6’2” with a medium build, medium length brown/black hair, and may be wearing jeans with a red and white horizontal striped shirt.
Witnesses at the housing complex said the victim had two young children, a boy and a girl, and used his truck for work.
“He’s a hard working man, just supporting his family,” said friend Jeff Jackson. “That was his work truck, so he was trying to stop it… That’s all he has.”
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is also investigating because the case involves a police pursuit.
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